Avocado oil

Avocado oil

Avocado oil has a light unique flavour and is a very good choice for salad dressings and for roasting vegetables. The oil enhances and brings out the flavour of other foods, instead of dominating them such as olive oil and other oils. Refined avocado has the highest smoke point of any fruit oil so it is good for high heat cooking, although the flavour may render it unsuitable for frying some ingredients. Its smoke point is 491°F (255 °C). However, do not heat unrefined cold pressed oil or it will taste bitter. It is a good source of monounsaturated fat and Vitamin E and is cholesterol free.

Most avocado oil is produced in Chile, Australia and New Zealand. In the latter two countries it is often produced by olive oil producers when olives are out of season as avocados are in season all year round. The oil is one of the few which is not extracted from seeds - the flesh is pulped to make the oil.

The oil, which is available from Waitrose, should be kept in a cool, dark place.